Just like Sony’s Ghost of Tsushima – the biggest PS4 game of the month – Nintendo’s Paper Mario: The Origami King has received mixed reviews likewise. Complaints stem from the fact that it takes the series in yet another direction, being action-orientated and less of an RPG. When that action gets going, though, it’s very good indeed. Critics also claim it’s the most humorous entry yet.
On the lower end of the scale, there’s EGM’s 3/5. “Mushroom Kingdom is bigger and more alive than it’s ever been, but it comes packaged with a combat system that quickly becomes stagnant,†was their verdict. It also gained the same score from VGC, who said: “The Origami King contains some of the series’ absolute standout moments – almost all of them related to its enjoyable script and wonderful, varied environments – but it also frustrates with some disappointing new features and all-too-familiar missteps.â€
On the (much) more positive side, it garnered 8/10s from both Nintendo Life and GameSpot, along with a 9.0 from God is a Geek. The Metacritic currently stands at a respectful 80%.
Team17’s side-scrolling shooter roguelike Neon Abyss has gained ‘glowing’ reviews also. Another 9.0 from God is a Geek, no less. “[…] it’s a corking little platform shooter with enough variety and surprises to keep you fully hooked. It’s not quite as sprawling as Dead Cells, but the Seed system is a masterstroke. The myriad pop culture references and massive array of weapons and gear will keep you blasting and laughing for hours, and Neon Abyss’ pixel art graphics and superb soundtrack round off a perfect addition to the Switch’s formidable catalogue of indie treasures,†they said.
Then there’s (checks notes) void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium, which Nintendo World Report described as an “Apocalyptic Tamagotchi Simulator.†They rather enjoyed the dungeon crawler hybrid, awarding it a 7. “A powerful story, moody soundtrack, and amazing aesthetic round out an experience that has a solid support structure, but less than awesome baseline gameplay premise,†was their verdict.
We’re still waiting on Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus reviews. This strategic battler might be a little too demanding for the Switch, we fear – it was a reasonably big budget PC game originally.
There’s also the PS2 party game remaster Mega Party A Tootuff Adventure, 16-bit style arcade spoon slapping puzzler Radical Rabbit Stew – which ScreenRant enjoyed – and the intriguing vertical platformer Starlit Adventures Golden Stars.
Number crunchers may want to check out Get 10 quest too, which our resident mathematician Jake is currently engrossed with. It’s launching at a super low entry point of under three quid.
New Switch eShop releases
Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus – £34.99
Take control of the most technologically advanced army in the Imperium – The Adeptus Mechanicus in this critically acclaimed turn-based tactical game. Your every decision will shape the missions ahead and ultimately decide the fate of the troops under your command in over 50 hand-crafted missions, including the amazing Heretek DLC missions. Choose your path carefully – the Imperium depends on it.
Paper Mario: The Origami King – £49.99
The Origami King has taken over! His Folded Soldiers have ransacked Toad Town and he’s used his powers to transform Princess Peach and several others into origami. He’s even torn Peach’s Castle from the ground, and sealed it shut with magical streamers!
Luckily, Mario’s got the help of Olly’s younger sister Olivia to defeat the folded-up forces of evil. Together with some unlikely allies, assist our heroes in tearing up our paper villain’s nefarious plan to transform the entire world into origami!
BOSSGARD – £16.99
WHO’S THE BOSS? It’s finally you! One big, bad, player-controlled Boss goes against a team of Vikings, each with special abilities. Enter BOSSGARD, a hectic 1v2, 1v3, up to 1v5 bossfight multiplayer game in which you get to crush your friends as THE BOSS.
You can also fight in viking vs viking FFA or TDM formats.
#Funtime – £13.49
#Funtime combines traditional twin-stick shooting with a unique coloring mechanic. Earn bonus points by coloring the playing field and exploding enemies that cross your path. Persistent ship upgrades allow for lengthier runs filled with even more mayhem. Fast and fun gameplay will have you coming back again and again.
Waifu Uncovered – £6.29
Eight beautiful maidens are under threat of alien attack. Their lives and the fate of the world now rest in your hands. In this simple yet rewarding shoot’em up, take command of multiple ship types, each balanced for a different play style, and blast away clothing that’s been deeply infected by a deadly virus. Evade and destroy enemies as they feverishly work against you, team up in multiplayer or bravely battle alone to save the girl of your dreams.
Tales from the Dragon Mountain 2: The Lair – £8.99
It has been years since brave Mina Lockheart defeated Lord Strix. But dark shadows are rising once again! Spirits are restless! For he has awaken! Evil Lord Strix is breeding a new army to enslave all creatures from the Dragon Mountains!
It is once again up to Mina and her best friend spirit Malik to travel to distant parts of the world and find clues how to open the passage to a hidden wasteland – Lord Strix’s lair. Meet different characters along your journey, help them and have them help you. Search and discover new places, but hurry! Lord Strix gets stronger by the minute!
Mega Party A Tootuff Adventure – £26.99
The day before school started back, Tootuff heard that it was possible to clone sheep by selecting the very best specimens. Terrified about the idea of being infinitely duplicated, Tootuff shares his concerns with his friends.
Fortunately, Hugo always has a solution. If only the best are destined to be cloned, you just have to be as naughty as possible to avoid being chosen.
Tootuff and his friends embark on a race to get up to as much crazy mischief as possible to avoid being cloned.
Pangeon – £8.99
Fight your way through to the bottom of the so-called Pangeon – an organization located in a dungeon that we know very little about (well, except the fact it contains something that has the potential to destroy the entire planet Earth) – eliminate the evil, and save the World from a potential tragedy.
Neon Abyss – £15.99
Featuring unlimited item synergies and a unique dungeon evolution system, each run diversifies the experience and every choice alters the ruleset. Get ready to unleash hell!
REZ PLZ – £13.49
REZ PLZ is a pixel art puzzle platformer with a new twist on co-op and single player gameplay: Kill your brother to solve puzzles and conquer dungeons.
Join apprentice wizard brothers Arcan and Zeph as they fight the forces of Dark Arcanum armed with little more than the Resurrection Scroll, a tool they can use to bring each other back to life. As you progress, you will unlock new spells that grant diverse abilities to conquer the increasingly difficult challenges ahead.
Golf – £8.09
Golf is an open-world 18 hole golf simulator game, which you can either play alone or with another player.
Using our unique ball hit engine you decide on the exact point you want to hit the ball giving you a more realistic golf playing experience.
Choose between four different golf clubs (driver, iron, wood and putter) which all have different power levels, view the PAR of every single hole on screen and you can move to any hole to practice.
Golf is play-as-you want endless game, which will give you hours of fun anytime, anywhere.
Home Run High – £11.69
Can you lead your high school baseball team to ultimate victory? It might be a small after-school club now, but with the right training, even the sky isn’t the limit for this team!
Train players by assigning them practice drills. You choose what they need to focus on, such as batting or pitching.
Install batting cages, showers, or other facilities to make life better for the team. A good environment makes for more effective training! School life is not all about sports, though. Studying is just as important, so make sure to construct educational facilities to upgrade the school.
House students in a dorm and they’ll have more time for both studying and baseball practice! Pick your best players for the team and test their skill at tournaments.
Explosive Dinosaurs – £6.99
The main objective of this game is to DESTROY FRIENDSHIPS with PURE COMPETITION!!
(We shall not be liable if you end up having FUN)
Up to 4 PLAYERS in just one TV, only buying the game ONCE!
Radical Rabbit Stew – £12.99
Get your super spoons ready and whack those crazy rabbits into saucepans to free the space chefs – but think fast or the bunnies will attack!
Featuring bite-sized pick-up-and-play action, fast-paced whack-a-rabbit gameplay, scintillating puzzles, super-sized boss fights, juicy pixel graphics and a sizzling soundtrack, Radical Rabbit Stew is a hare-raising action-arcade puzzle game perfect for new players and 16-bit retro fans alike.
Caretaker – £7.19
You’re an investigative journalist who is “hungry†for a flashy news story. You heard the news of one caretaker in this industrial facility who has gone insane and killed all of his co-workers. Now, the urban legend is that this “caretaker†has returned to this industrial facility and people has seen this “monster back to lifeâ€. You want to uncover this myth. You are hungry for truth and maybe this caretaker is hungry for something else.
We should talk. – £5.59
We should talk is a short-form narrative game that will make you think carefully about the words you choose. Can your relationship survive the night?
Using a unique narrative choice mechanic, players craft sentences in response to the in-game characters in We should talk. Through this careful choice of words, players express themselves as they discuss ongoing problems about life and romance with their in-game partner over text messages, while also chatting with friends and strangers at their favorite local bar about what’s on their mind. The combination of words they choose impacts the conversations they have, how genuinely they can connect with their partner, and whether their relationship can survive the night.
Never Breakup – £8.99
Never Breakup is a relaxing family game for two players. Play with your friends, lover, or even parents—it is tons of fun for both young and old alike.
Players are transformed into ball-shaped animals and then bound together with an elastic rope.
It is time for you to test your bond. You will face obstacles and puzzles that will test your skill, cooperation and coordination!
Neversong – £13.09
Upon waking from a coma, Pete’s sister is nowhere to be found. Investigate the screams coming from the heart of Black Wood, the increasingly violent behavior of the grown-ups, and the strange truth about Pete’s past in this hauntingly dreamlike fable.
Get 10 quest – £2.69
80 levels, 6 different gameplay and the original endless mode.
Tanky Tanks – £5.99
Tanky Tanks is an intense, fast-paced tank shooter game. It is fun, easy to learn and addicting. Play alone, together with friends or against your friends and show your navigation and reaction skills in 6 different game modes and countless levels.
It’s fast. It’s fun. It’s addicting.
Starlit Adventures Golden Stars – £19.99
Join Bo & Kikki for single-player or multiplayer fun anytime! Take on this family-friendly, vertical scrolling adventure with up to three friends as you try to save the Starlits and recover all the stars taken by Nuru.
Comes with all suits including Unicorn, Dino and Dragon Golden Suit as playable characters!
Three games in one, for triple the fun! Simple, straightforward controls, optimized for younger and less-experienced players, make this a perfect choice for anyone looking to introduce their family to the wonderful world of Starlit. For multiplayer, all a player needs is a Joy-Con, so two people can team up right out of the box! Tackle 144 platforming courses in the two main game modes: Story and Challenges! Enjoy extra replayability with the game mode Infinite Tower!
void tRrLM(); //Void Terrarium – £22.49
In a world contaminated with toxic fungi, a discarded maintenance robot finds a lone human girl among the discarded junk in a scrapyard. To ensure her survival, the robot and a decommissioned AI known as factoryAI must create a refuge for her within a terrarium.
Ultra Hat Dimension – £4.99
Ultra Hat Dimension is a puzzle game about adorable hats and people getting punched for wearing them. The catch is that the player can’t punch anyone; instead, they must use the power of hats to convince others to do the punching for them. Find and defeat the Spluff responsible for all this chaos!
Explore through the levels of the majestic Spluff Palace to find and defeat your arch-nemesis!
Next week: Crysis Remastered, Dex, Rock of Ages 3: Make & Break, One Dog Story, Aircraft Evolution, CARRION, GERRRMS, Mittelborg: City of Mages, Rainswept, Need a packet?, Max and the book of chaos, and Cubicity.